Galatians 3:10-12
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“For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continues not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, the just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, the man that does them shall live in them.”
As with so many other passages in Galatians that are twisted out of context, this is another much-quoted scripture attempting to disprove commandment keeping. The verses cited in the Galatians 2:16 explanation are all equally applicable in explaining how faith (Gal 2:11) and works (Gal 2:10) are inseparable! I Timothy. 1:18-19 helps explain James 2:18, because it shows that the conscience must be rid of guilt, or faith will be shipwrecked!
Christians demonstrate their faith in God by keeping His law and it requires faith in Christ’s power at work in the person for him to succeed. For example, it takes faith to give a tithe of one’s income with pressing bills on hand—it takes faith to keep the Sabbath and Holy Days when one could be ridiculed or lose employment as a result—it takes faith to resist surgery or medical treatment that may be prescribed, in certain circumstances, because one believes that God will heal!
Ultimately, it takes the greatest faith for Christians to believe that God will resurrect their bodies at Christ’s Return. Think of it this way: Since all Christians will be dead, they would never know if God broke His promise, and that they never “awoke” into His kingdom (I Thes. 4:14-15).
Realize that the book of Galatians almost invariably is referring to the “book of the law” (Gal 4:10, 12, 17-19)—physical sacrifices, washings, etc., that Old Testament Israel was required to keep—but that New Testament Israel (the Church – Rev. 12:1-17) is not.
Finally, the passage contains two confusing phrases that summarize the confusion of most: “Cursed is everyone who continues not in all things…in the book of the law” and, again referencing the law, “The man that does them shall live in them.” What do these mean? Simply that, if one is going to ignore the role of faith and return to the physical ceremonies as certain Jews were teaching the Galatians to do, that person had better keep “all things” in Moses’ law—in other words, he had better fully “live in them.” But this still would not save him.
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